The LGBTQ Flag

The beautiful six colored rainbow flag we see in Pride Parade represents the LGBTQ community. But how did they get an idea of the rainbow flag? Why did they go for flag and not any other form of representation? 

I know you all have so many questions. So, here we are to answer your why’s and how’s.  

A San Francisco artist named Gilbert Baker designed the symbol of six striped flags. Each color of the flag holds a meaning. Life is represented by the color red. Orange stands for healing. Yellow symbolizes sunlight whereas green denotes nature. Blue is used to represent serenity and violet symbolizes spirit. 

Stonewall holds a very important place in the journey of the LGBTQ community. The first Pride Parade took place exactly at Stonewall. So, to symbolize the history of the community, the rainbow flag was hoisted at the Stonewall National Monument.

Initially, when the flag was designed it had two additional bands, hot pink and turquoise. The hot pink color was used to represent sex whereas the turquoise color stood for magic/art. The hot pink color was removed because of its unavailability. The turquoise color lost its place in the historic symbol in the year 1979. It was during the San Francisco parade, the officials decided to divide the flag equally and the turquoise had to say goodbye.

Apart from the symbolic rainbow flag, there are so many different flags representing the different identities of the LGBTQ community. Allow me to introduce them to you one by one.

  • Lesbian Flag(s)

The first Lesbian Flag was designed by Sean Campbell. The flag had a black inverted triangle with Labrys laid over it. Another flag that got recognization was the 7 striped flag. The symbol had debates on the colors because pinks and reds were considered feminine. After a long this and that, the Lesbian flag was finalized. It consists of 5 stripes, dark orange representing gender non-conformity, light orange for the community, white for the unique relationship to womanhood, pink for serenity and peace, and dark rose for femininity.

  • Bisexual Flag

The symbol of the Bisexual flag has a very unique and deep meaning. With the help of their symbol, they are representing themselves. To be exact, bisexuals blend easily into the community of lesbians, gays, or even straight. So, their flag consists of a dark lavender color in the middle formed by the overlapping of pink and blue color. The pink color is the symbol of sexual attraction between the same sexes whereas the blue color represents straight sex attraction. The blend of both is represented by dark lavender. Isn’t it the most thoughtful symbol?

  • Asexual Flag

The asexual community finalized its flag in the year 2010. The black, grey, white, and violet striped flag won. Asexuality is represented by black, grey color represented the dicey part between asexual and sexual, white representing sexuality, and purple for the community.

Be it the famous rainbow flag or the minimalist asexual flag, the motive behind every flag is to represent the pride they have for their community. They have accepted themselves and are super proud of their community; the only thing they are seeking is equality and respect. And, I don’t think that’s too much to ask for! 

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